What does everyone love about OKW, because I can't find anything to love...

[starbox]

I have to agree that DVC studios are not the best of what DVC has to offer.

I disagree - studios give you a couch and a bed instead of two beds. For me, psychologically, being in a studio with a couch does not have that "hotel feel". Staying in studios has allowed us to squeeze as much as 32 nights in Disney resorts out of our points. To me - that's the best DVC has to offer in terms of bang for your vacation buck.

To the OP - OKW is not our favorite resort, but I had the best mousekeeping of any DVC trip at OKW. The canal view rooms have great balconies, and the pool slide is one of the best.

 

[M-I-C-K-E-Y]

We have a rooster in our neighborhood and I am sure it irritates some

There's some "roosters" on the DISboards as well...

 

[lisaviolet]

This is why:

And not everyone was there yet!

I actually double my space on vacation in a one bedroom OKW suite. I live in a small downtown condo.

But the balcony - for me hand's down - that wonderful balcony!

And this was taken from the boat -

 

[bonrea]

#1 - The true Advantages to OKW over the other DVC resorts are in the 1 BR and higher rooms.

To me a Studio is a glorified Hotel room no matter where you stay except for SSR than it's a glorified motel room because of the exterior concrete hallways.

If you have a car no resort is more convenient to park at.
If you have kids no resort offer the spacious accomadations as OKW
If you have kids then most likely Laundry will be done, Full size Units in it's own seperate room , not in a closet that puts you in the way when using
If you are on a budget you probably have to do some cooking, on a long stay OKW has a normal size fridge that can actually hold all of your groceries.
In OKW 2 people can be in the kitchen at the same time.
I can stay here more days with my points than anywhere else.
Largest patios and balconies , that are the quietest in all of WDW many with great golf course views - very relaxing
The pools at OKW are way less crowded than any other in WDW. The one at Turtle Pond is the best kept secret- a decent size quiet pool.


All of the OP complaints are maintenance or housekeeping issues that I have encountered at BWV and BCV - so they exist everywhere.

DIT TOE!!!.... COULDN'T HAVE SAID IT BETTER!

If you found so many problems with the room when you went in, demand a different room right away. Don't hesitate to request better accommodations and service. If you don't they will not know you have a problem.

 

[Simba's Mom]

...Yep - Rich would be proud of this statement...

You know, I was just thinking about him "complaining","Yeah, but you need more than one paper towel to clean that kitchen."
As a PP said, the biggest plus for me at OKW is that huge balcony where everyone can sit around the big table with their feet up. And I love being able to park right in front of my villa-truly feels like we're coming home when we come back.

 

[OneMoreTry]

So, I have heard from a lot of people that they love OKW and I am trying to figure out WHY??

Checked in to OKW studio on Monday morning after 3 separate stays at SSR. I feel like I downgraded to a glorified motel room...the walls and ceilings are SO thin. The people above us right now sound like they are marching instead of walking! We seem to hear everything that moves, every word that's said. The grout on our bathroom floor and the bathroom tile is severly neglected (sticky and an old band aid behind the door when we first got to our room) and the air conditioner vent was COVERED in dust and cobweb looking collections of "ick". We called guest services about both cleanliness issues and it was remedied the next morning.
When we pulled in, the buildings looked beautiful but the inside did not match at all. The carpet has big stains and I was "lucky" enough to find a little black hair in one of the bedsheets (which was immediately stripped and we used the other bed - which creaks with every toss or turn, but at least the sheets were clean). Room 4410 for anyone interested. Close to a pool and a bus stop, which is nice - but there is nothing I can say positive about this resort...Flame me if you wish - but I will choose to stay at home rather than check in here again if another resort is not available next time we wish to travel.
Oh, and I got a little pizza flyer shoved through the side of our door and it actually made it all the way inside of our room. I thought it was private property and couldn't imagine Disney allowed this sort of thing! I did call guest services about that too.
Anyway, I felt like I had to vent and I would also be interested in hearing what it is that others love so much about this place.

Whew!! I'm glad that hasn't happened to me in all my stays there.

 

[ILoveMyDVC]

because it's the real Disney Vacation Club

 

[DisDaydreamer]

because it's the real Disney Vacation Club

The Original....

 

[np4gp]

Well, I knew some people would certainly have their opinions about my thoughts...but WOW - 4 pages?? LOL. There was no intent of "bashing" OKW. My question of what people love about the place was an actual question and not a sarcastic way of saying - y'all are crazy.

We just got home, and after talking to quite a few other DVC members at OKW - I know that we will eventually have to give it another shot - but NOT in a studio and it will probably be if there is no other resort and we are really desperate for a Disney stay. As we were told about a dozen times in the buses or waiting at a bus stop, the studios are not the glory of OKW. I cannot disagree with that. I think my husband and I just prefer a different feel in our resort. We have been to Key West many times and lived in Florida for 30 years and I guess the "OKW feel" doesn't really do anything for us. Perhaps we are "Florida'd" out.

PS. Building 23-26 were closed off, assuming they were doing some refurbishing...

Now -
We did talk to guest services the night we got in about the air vent and the tile. It was taken care of the next morning. Unfortunately, the tile was not cleanable. The stickiness was gone and the old band aid was gone, but the dark spots were not. I guess the tile was just old and dingy.

I did not call about the sheet. It was easily fixed by just taking it off and avoiding that bed...lol

We did not ask for another room because I don't like to be trouble...and honestly, moving would not be worth it when trying to pack up a 2 year old and his things, as well as our own. We made the best of our room - put towels down on the floor when our son was down there playing, slept on the other bed, and spent as little time in the room as possible.

On the positive side - the front desk people were really really nice, as were the people in the gift shop and Goods to Go. Even though the people who answer the phones when you call guest services were not so nice. I got the feel that they felt bothered by a phone call.

The store does have some of the better DVC merchandise that I have seen in our visits to other resorts. We have gone to the other resorts just to check them out and see which ones we want to try next...

We do know that you get more bang for your buck, so to speak, at OKW. We never need more than a studio and so I am going to be more inclined to choose a studio and use more points at a place I like, even though I might be able to get more nights if I went with OKW.

I have another question - does anyone know if the AKV Kidani value studios are going to be along the same lines as the OKW studios - like, same layout (just wondering since they are both the same points value)? At AKV, what is the difference between value and standard - is it just the view?? We could care less about view really - just an added perk if ours is nice. In fact, we didn't even look out the window this week...so, not a big deal.

Anyway, I know people love OKW and I knew I would get some good replies that would actually answer my question and give me something to consider when thinking about going back, and I knew I would get some of the feisty OKW lovers who would think I was being - It's all good.

We are back to SSR in a couple months, hopefully BW or BC at the end of the year and AKV right after that. I look forward to having more experiences to compare to this most recent one.

 

[bookwormde]

Thanks for the info on 23-26, We are doing a GV HH in June (which is building 25) so maybe it will be “refreshed”

Also there are no value class units at Kidani, just standards and savanna view

bookwormde

 

[starbox]

I have another question - does anyone know if the AKV Kidani value studios are going to be along the same lines as the OKW studios - like, same layout (just wondering since they are both the same points value)? At AKV, what is the difference between value and standard - is it just the view?? We could care less about view really - just an added perk if ours is nice. In fact, we didn't even look out the window this week...so, not a big deal.
.

AKV value studios are significanly smaller than sv studios - and the space is lost in the main living area. There's a storage bench-type thing in a regular studio along the wall with the wardrobe - that's gone in a value and all the rest of the furniture is pretty much pushed up against each other. They also have a reverse set-up with the bed against the window and couch as you walk in (which does open the room up a bit psychologically).

I stayed in a value AKV studio for 4 nights last spring break (with just my 2kids) and it was fine for the three of us. The view was great - we were very close to the pool. It is a bit challenging to figure out where to put the coffee tables and cushions once the sofa is unfolded.

After staying in the value studio, I actually called and cancelled a AKV value I had reserved for June when DH would be joining us. IMHO - it would be too small for four. I actually switched to OKW

 

[pinnocchiosdad]

As they say, " to each their own". But I too don't get it. My 1st DVC trip was OKW and after hearing how big the room were I was totaly disappointed. There was only one place to eat and that was so-so. It was a long walk from our room to the reorts ameneties. When I retire and spend several weeks at a time at WDW and have my car with me, I think I will appreciate OKW more. But for now I'll stay elsewhere. JMHO.

 

[Kmango]

Well, I knew some people would certainly have their opinions about my thoughts...but WOW - 4 pages?? LOL. There was no intent of "bashing" OKW. My question of what people love about the place was an actual question and not a sarcastic way of saying - y'all are crazy.

We just got home, and after talking to quite a few other DVC members at OKW - I know that we will eventually have to give it another shot - but NOT in a studio and it will probably be if there is no other resort and we are really desperate for a Disney stay. As we were told about a dozen times in the buses or waiting at a bus stop, the studios are not the glory of OKW. I cannot disagree with that. I think my husband and I just prefer a different feel in our resort. We have been to Key West many times and lived in Florida for 30 years and I guess the "OKW feel" doesn't really do anything for us. Perhaps we are "Florida'd" out.

I totally understand that. Until I moved to Florida, I didn't really have any strong feelings about OKW one way or the other. But now it just doesn't do it for me, not because of anything that's wrong with it, just because it doesn't feel different. I live in a condos-in-Florida atmosphere. I don't want to vacation in one too. However, I can see why people from non-tropical places would love the atmosphere of OKW.

 

[Kmango]

I have another question - does anyone know if the AKV Kidani value studios are going to be along the same lines as the OKW studios - like, same layout (just wondering since they are both the same points value)? At AKV, what is the difference between value and standard - is it just the view?? We could care less about view really - just an added perk if ours is nice. In fact, we didn't even look out the window this week...so, not a big deal.

I'm fairly sure that there are not going to be value studios at Kidani. The difference between value and other rooms at Jambo is size, a result of having to shoehorn rooms into an existing space. In the new building, all rooms will be either Savannah view or Standard view.

 

[jekjones1558]

I totally understand that. Until I moved to Florida, I didn't really have any strong feelings about OKW one way or the other. But now it just doesn't do it for me, not because of anything that's wrong with it, just because it doesn't feel different. I live in a condos-in-Florida atmosphere. I don't want to vacation in one too. However, I can see why people from non-tropical places would love the atmosphere of OKW.

ITA with this thinking. We are from the frozen tundra and VWL doesn't really turn us on, even at Christmas. Even the dark wood at AKV kind of bothers us. We like a lighter decor when at WDW. Isn't it great that we have so many DVC choices so we can ALL have what we like!

 

[DVCSAMNH]

Just returned yesterday from a stay at SSR. When we opened the door to our room on the first day at 4PM the place literally looked like a bomb went off in it. From what I could tell the mousekeeper who had been working on the room had stripped and remade the bed and emptied the garbage but that is as far as she had gotten. Trash cans were literally thrown all over the room as were sheets, pillows, sofa cushions, etc... Well, you get the idea. This room was released for occupancy like this. We grabbed a mousekeeper who was in the hall who grabbed another and they took about 20 minutes finishing the room while we waited in the hallway.

If a supervising mousekeeper had to go through each room before it is released, this problem and the ones that the OP experienced probably would not happen. I am at a loss why this is not standard operating procedure with DVC. Just make it SOMEBODY'S job.

 

[Muushka]

I think my husband and I just prefer a different feel in our resort. We have been to Key West many times and lived in Florida for 30 years and I guess the "OKW feel" doesn't really do anything for us. Perhaps we are "Florida'd" out.

This is exactly why OKW is not our home resort.

However, I cannot throw the baby out with the bath water. While I don't consider OKW as my kind of resort, there is something that OKW has that my beloved VWL does not have. Room for guests other than my husband and I.

We have booked OKW for 2 events (my big birthday (for 8, 2 BR plus studio) and our family reunion- for 4 plus 2 not staying in the room with us, but included in plans). I appreciate the size of the 2 BR villas. My guests could spread out, we could all eat in comfort and nice large patio to enjoy. You won't get that anywhere else.

This is what we love about OKW.

Unless we didn't properly plan (last minute) or were short on points, we wouldn't do an OKW studio.

 

[Chuck S]

If a supervising mousekeeper had to go through each room before it is released, this problem and the ones that the OP experienced probably would not happen. I am at a loss why this is not standard operating procedure with DVC. Just make it SOMEBODY'S job.

At large resorts, like SSR or OKW, where there could easily be 100 units turnover a day (substantially more on Fridays and Sundays) and each unit takes even only 5 minutes to inspect, that is 500 minutes, or 8 1/3 hours of nothing but inspecting. And probably longer for larger units. That would be a minimum of 2 full time supervisory positions, probably 3 to 4, to be added to payroll and dues.

 

[DVCSAMNH]

At large resorts, like SSR or OKW, where there could easily be 100 units turnover a day (substantially more on Fridays and Sundays) and each unit takes even only 5 minutes to inspect, that is 500 minutes, or 8 1/3 hours of nothing but inspecting. And probably longer for larger units. That would be a minimum of 2 full time supervisory positions, probably 3 to 4, to be added to payroll and dues.

It seems like it would be worth it if we could avoid a whole bunch of room redos and changes. Maybe after a while it would pay for itself. They would have needed just 2 seconds to realize that they need to haul one mousekeeper's butt back into our room!

In these economic times, some serious oversight might help trim the staff to only the best of the best.

 

[Chuck S]

It seems like it would be worth it if we could avoid a whole bunch of room redos and changes. Maybe after a while it would pay for itself. They would have needed just 2 seconds to realize that they need to haul one mousekeeper's butt back into our room!

In these economic times, some serious oversight might help trim the staff to only the best of the best.

I don't kow, if those supervisors even make only $30K per year, at 3 for the minimum for OKW, or SSR, it would be hard to see how it would "save" nearly $100K per resort per year to offset the cost.